How do folks?
It's late in the game but if you get the chance, contact your MEP by email or phone as early as possible today.
I've only just heard about this so please forgive me if there are a few errors in here - but I believe I've got the general gist of it.
For a quick overview of the issues see these links.
http://blackouteurope.eu/
and
http://www.iptegrity.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=37&Itemid=65
In short, legislation up for a vote today (the 21st) has 2 important elements, Citizens Rights* and Framework, Access and Authoritisation** . (This is a very simplified version of what actually spans hundreds of pages and is beyond most people including specialists - and certainly beyond most, if not all of MEPs who'll be called to vote on it.)
A very important element of the Citizens Rights part has been dropped in a "back room deal" to appease the governments of France and the UK (no surprise that our mob is behind the further erosion of rights though).
Your elected representatives won't get to vote on those elements of your freedom and your rights, they have already been decided undemocratically (it's no surprise that happens in the European Parliament really - but it's still worth pointing out).
For a sample email to send to your MEP click this link.
http://www.blackouteurope.eu/act/letter_to_meps.html
To find out who your MEP is so you can contact them click this link.
http://www.writetothem.com/ On that site you can use a link to contact all your MEPs at once.
Be sure to use the postcode of the address you're a registered voter at as if you contact the wrong MEPs your email will be ignored.
If you can find your MEP's number you might want to call them to ensure your message gets through.
If you include the above links they will get a quick outline of the very real problems with this proposed legislation - issues there's a good chance they aren't really aware exist.
You could even point out that the changes would negatively affect them and their families too.
Remind them they'll be asking for your vote in the upcoming European elections - tell them this is an important issue to you and that voting against your freedom and rights on this issue will send your vote to another candidate.
So, if you want the Internet to stay as it is now, where you can access any site or service*** just by searching for it, clicking a link or typing in a URL and think it should stay that way (it should) contact your MEP now and ask them to vote against any legislation that talks about "lawful content" or any other restriction (including "new consumer options" and other similar phrasings) while supporting legislation which protects your rights to unlimited access to the whole internet.
On the other hand, if you want an internet where you (or anyone else) can have your connection withdrawn in a "three strikes and you're out" fashion for trivial matters like file sharing... if you want the internet to stop being the free information exchange it currently is, and would rather see it as a new incarnation of the subscription television model, where providers offer you a package of sites you can visit, packages under which you can access only those sites and any others are impossible to access without a new package at a higher price - sit back and do nothing.
It's not too late yet. Give your MEP a kick up the backside and make sure not only that they vote but that they vote to protect your rights to access the internet without limits imposed by your provider or by national/european legislation.
* Citizens Rights directive - that's the bit that protects the rights of you, me and everyone else to access the internet without blocking or being limited to only certain sites, and without the threat of disconnection on a "three strikes" basis.
** Framework, Access and Authoritisation - That's the bit that lets governments and Broadband Providers limit what you can see online.
This means blocking certain sites, types of content, blocking services like Skype (which has already happened in a few places now) and more besides.
For example - if your ISP package doesn't include this site, google or *insert your favourite site here* you won't be able to visit them at all unless you pay for a more expensive package - imagine the internet you know and love turned into something like Sky/cable TV and you'll be close.
*** Services like chat programs, Skype and other internet telephony services.
Sites like the independent clothing labels, music labels, artists and the likes that you find through chance searches.
Sites like those that sell the niche products you use in that little project you've got going on.
Any site you want to see that would be restricted by your internet provider unless you cough up for a more pricey package under their terms.
If you've read this far, good on you.
Cheers - now get writing to them.
It's late in the game but if you get the chance, contact your MEP by email or phone as early as possible today.
I've only just heard about this so please forgive me if there are a few errors in here - but I believe I've got the general gist of it.
For a quick overview of the issues see these links.
http://blackouteurope.eu/
and
http://www.iptegrity.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=37&Itemid=65
In short, legislation up for a vote today (the 21st) has 2 important elements, Citizens Rights* and Framework, Access and Authoritisation** . (This is a very simplified version of what actually spans hundreds of pages and is beyond most people including specialists - and certainly beyond most, if not all of MEPs who'll be called to vote on it.)
A very important element of the Citizens Rights part has been dropped in a "back room deal" to appease the governments of France and the UK (no surprise that our mob is behind the further erosion of rights though).
Your elected representatives won't get to vote on those elements of your freedom and your rights, they have already been decided undemocratically (it's no surprise that happens in the European Parliament really - but it's still worth pointing out).
For a sample email to send to your MEP click this link.
http://www.blackouteurope.eu/act/letter_to_meps.html
To find out who your MEP is so you can contact them click this link.
http://www.writetothem.com/ On that site you can use a link to contact all your MEPs at once.
Be sure to use the postcode of the address you're a registered voter at as if you contact the wrong MEPs your email will be ignored.
If you can find your MEP's number you might want to call them to ensure your message gets through.
If you include the above links they will get a quick outline of the very real problems with this proposed legislation - issues there's a good chance they aren't really aware exist.
You could even point out that the changes would negatively affect them and their families too.
Remind them they'll be asking for your vote in the upcoming European elections - tell them this is an important issue to you and that voting against your freedom and rights on this issue will send your vote to another candidate.
So, if you want the Internet to stay as it is now, where you can access any site or service*** just by searching for it, clicking a link or typing in a URL and think it should stay that way (it should) contact your MEP now and ask them to vote against any legislation that talks about "lawful content" or any other restriction (including "new consumer options" and other similar phrasings) while supporting legislation which protects your rights to unlimited access to the whole internet.
On the other hand, if you want an internet where you (or anyone else) can have your connection withdrawn in a "three strikes and you're out" fashion for trivial matters like file sharing... if you want the internet to stop being the free information exchange it currently is, and would rather see it as a new incarnation of the subscription television model, where providers offer you a package of sites you can visit, packages under which you can access only those sites and any others are impossible to access without a new package at a higher price - sit back and do nothing.
It's not too late yet. Give your MEP a kick up the backside and make sure not only that they vote but that they vote to protect your rights to access the internet without limits imposed by your provider or by national/european legislation.
* Citizens Rights directive - that's the bit that protects the rights of you, me and everyone else to access the internet without blocking or being limited to only certain sites, and without the threat of disconnection on a "three strikes" basis.
** Framework, Access and Authoritisation - That's the bit that lets governments and Broadband Providers limit what you can see online.
This means blocking certain sites, types of content, blocking services like Skype (which has already happened in a few places now) and more besides.
For example - if your ISP package doesn't include this site, google or *insert your favourite site here* you won't be able to visit them at all unless you pay for a more expensive package - imagine the internet you know and love turned into something like Sky/cable TV and you'll be close.
*** Services like chat programs, Skype and other internet telephony services.
Sites like the independent clothing labels, music labels, artists and the likes that you find through chance searches.
Sites like those that sell the niche products you use in that little project you've got going on.
Any site you want to see that would be restricted by your internet provider unless you cough up for a more pricey package under their terms.
If you've read this far, good on you.
Cheers - now get writing to them.
